The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-11
IT WILL GO SLOW.

It has been rumored and published
that being disappointed by the outcome
of the Brigham City election, the Utah |
Commission contemplates the framing |
of another oath which, 1t is hoped, the |
Mormons viii be unable to take. The
rumor lacks confirmation, and probably
had its birth in the mind of some fam
attic Loyal Lacquer who sees no prospect
under the present arrangement of get
ting any returns from his fifty-cents-a-
month investment. On pre- ious oc- |
casion the Commission magnified its |
powers and set out to Or vent Mormons |
from voting who had the right to vote. |
It took little time for the matter to be
adjusted anu the Commission reduced
to its legitimate size, but the adjust
ment and reduction came in an en-
phatic humbling of the gentlemen by
the United States Supreme Court. After
its unpleasant experience, the Commits
s.en will be apt. to exercise more caution
to keep within the line Of its duty and
the letter of the Law.
In the oath that has been form alated
the Commission has gone quite as far as
it can go without running afoul of
breakers; indeed, it is not clear that
the oath does not cross the danger line,
but this will be learned and decided in
proper manner. The section OF he law
prescribing the oath is one of the clear
est in the act and the easiest to be IN
derstood. "As a.condition precedent to
his right to register or vote" the male
citizen twenty one years of age shall
take an oath that satisfies the Terri
tOrisl statutory requirements as to re-
sidence and citizenship, "and further
state in such oath or affirmation his full
name. with his age, place of business,
his status, whether single or married
and, if married, the name of his lawful
wife, and that he will support the Con-
stitution of the United States and will
faithfully obey the laws thereof, and
especially will obey" the Edmunds act
of 1882 and the Edmunds-Tucker act
of 1887 "in respect of the crimes
in said act defined and forbidden,
and that he will not, directly
or indirectly, aid or abet, counsel
or advise, any other ersol to commit
any of said crimes" The crimes de
fined and forbidden" are polygamy
blgamy, unlawful cohabitation, adul-
terry, fornication and incest. Having
provided an cath covering the points as
above, the Commission must stop, how
ever keen it may be to go ahead and
prevent Mermons from voting. The
Commission cannot legally even ask
man as to his belief, much less make
belief matter of refusal of the right to
vote. q man may believe it is his right
or the right Of anybody else to marry
new wife every Monday morning with
cut going through the formality of
divorce from those previously married,
and the Commission will be powerless
in the performance of its legitimate and
lawful duties, to deny him the right to
take the oath, to register and to vote.
The condition precedent" to the right
to register and to vote is the promise
under oath or affirmation, to do certain
things and to refrain from doing Ger
tain other things, all of which are
clearly set out in the law,
and can neither be enlarged nor
diminished by the Utah Commission.
Every attempt to add to the clearly
defined Law Will be met and overcome,
as was done few years ago when the
Commissioners came here with very
exalted ideas of their powers and
duties, only to learn that they were
required to do only what assessors an d
county clerks had been doing all along.
We are aware that it is annoying to the
Commission that any Mormons can
vote, and also that if it were in the
power of the Commission the Mo-
mons would be DISTINGUISHED, and the
government turned over to the tender
mercies of an insignificant and I'M
principled minority; but We also know
that even Commissioners have to heed
the laws, and we do not apprehend any
material departure from the .atute in
the matter of the oath.